Hydrophobic solvents such as terpene type hydrocarbons and paraffin are superior in the effect of washing out denatured oil and fats, grease and oil and therefore widely used for liquid detergents. For example, JP-A 2001-19999 discloses a water-dispersible detergent for removing oily stains, the detergent containing a terpene compound and a surfactant. JP-A 2001-98296, JP-A 2000-96086, JP-A 2000-303095, JP-A 10-1698, JP-A 6-336598, JP-A 5-279699 and JP-A (W) 9-509438 disclose detergents containing a terpene compound, wherein there is a description that a glycol ether type solvent is used at the same time in the sections entitled “Detailed Description of the invention” and “Claims”. Detergents containing a terpene compound and a glycol solvent are disclosed in JP-A 2001-247449, JP-A 2001-342500, JP-A 7-310099 and JP-A 5-320694. Detergents containing a terpene type hydrocarbon and a nonionic surfactant are disclosed in JP-A 2001-247899, the publication of JP-A 9-59695 and JP-A 9-310100.
In the meantime, technologies utilizing a polyol type compound having an alkyl or alkylene chain as a detergent are known. As the polyol compound, alkyl glyceryl ether type compounds, sugar type compounds such as alkyl glycosides and fatty acid ester type compounds of (poly)glycerin are known. For example, as regards to the alkyl glyceryl ether type compounds, liquid detergents using a monoalkyl monoglyceryl ether having 7 or less carbon atoms are described in JP-A 7-3289. In JP-A 7-500861, there is a description that 50 mol % or more of glyceryl ether is a di-isomer, glyceryl ether having 12 to 18 carbon atoms is contained as a non-surfactant foaming retardant, a compound such as high-molecular weight hydrocarbons such as paraffin, fatty acid esters, fatty acid esters of monohydric alcohols and aliphatic C18–C40 ketones may be compounded though it is an optional component. Also, as the surfactant, nonionic surfactants are exemplified. In JP-A 11-189796, liquid detergents are described which exhibit more excellent detergency using monoalkyl monoglyceryl ethers having 1 to 11 carbon atoms by mixing a combination of those differing in the number of carbons or a combination of isomeric alkyls. In JP-A 11-256200, there is a description concerning a liquid detergent composition containing a monoglyceryl ether derivative having any one of an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, benzyl group and phenyl group, a terpene type hydrocarbon, a surfactant and a builder. With regard to liquid detergents containing glyceryl ether derivatives besides the above detergents, a detergent composition is described in JP-A 57-133200, the detergent composition being compounded of a monoalkyl monoglyceryl ether having a methyl-branched alkyl group and exhibiting excellent detergency to remove oil stains and sebum stains. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,237, a detergent containing a monoalkyl (mono-, di- or tri-)glyceryl ether having 8 to 16 carbon atoms is described. The detergents disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,248, JP-A 64-67235 and JP-A 5-502687 may be given as examples of detergents containing a polyol compound shown by a general formula including a glyceryl ether derivative.
Moreover, as to detergents containing an alkyl glycoside type compound, liquid detergents containing an alkyl glycoside type surfactant, a monoterpene or sesquiterpene type hydrocarbon and other components are described in JP-A 2-182793, JP-A 2-32197 and JP-A 3-269097.
As technologies to be remarked, WO01/059059 is exemplified. In this patent publication, there is a description as to a micro-emulsion type detergent composition containing (a) water, (b) (i) a C6–24 alcohol ethoxylate surfactant containing about 1 to 20 molecules of an ethylene oxide residue and (ii) a C6–24 alkyl polyglycoside surfactant having a degree of polymerization of about 1 to about 10 [(i):(ii) is about 1:4 to about 4:1 (weight ratio)] and (c) a hydrophobic oil.
EP-A 1365013 (distributed as of Nov. 26, 2003) discloses a liquid detergent composition containing a nonionic compound having an alkyl group, which is connected with an organic group having hydroxy groups through an ether bond, ester bond, amide bond or a nitrogen atom, a hydrophobic organic solvent and (d) water. WO-A 01/59059 discloses a microemulsion detergent composition containing an alcohol ethoxylate surfactant and an alkyl polyglycoside. JP-A 6-306400 discloses a near three-critical point detergent composition containing a polar solvent, a water-soluble or water-dispersible low molecular weight amphoteric material and non- or weak-polar solvent.